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why. Trey lived for this and it gave him boundless energy that she envied. She took a deep breath and began to sing.
     
    Your touch makes me feel invincible
    Your touch makes me see the stars
    You touch can make me do anything
     
    “Walk,” he commanded.
    She kept her face relaxed when she wanted to stick her tongue at him and strolled in her sneakers to the edge of the stage and stepped on her marker.
     
    I just wish
    you didn’t see me as a friend
    Your platonic touch
    kills me with each brush of your hand
     
    She nearly jumped when he came up behind her and ran his hand down the whole length of her arm. Her eyes went wide and she saw a devilish glint in his eye but he didn’t smile.
     
    What I’d give
    for you to touch me
    Just once, look at me and see
    the woman who’s been waiting
    Touch me the way I’ve dreamed
    Touch me
     
    “Invite me,” he said.
    Gwen blinked. “What?”
    “ You want me to touch you.”
    She almost dropped her mic. “No. I don’t.”
    He grabbed her arms and squeezed. They were both tired and Trey’s blood pressure must be dangerously high though he didn’t show it.
    “ This isn’t just a song, Gwen. It’s a story about you and me. Each song we sing is about us. I want you to look at me and I want to see in your eyes that you want me to touch you. We’re not selling the song, we’re selling each other and people have to believe it. Got it?”
    She nodded.
    “ Right. From the top.”
    She began the song again and he stopped her halfway through.
    “I’m not feeling it Gwen. I need more. You’re holding back. You wrote this song. I shouldn’t be explaining how you should feel when you sing it.”
    She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes for a minute. It was late. She wanted her bed at the hotel and she wanted to be alone, but she knew Trey wasn’t trying to frustrate her… it was what the fans expected. She had to learn she couldn’t always have the quiet she needed to center herself. She needed to learn to reach for the right emotion at a moment’s notice.
    Trey watched Gwen for two minutes without saying a word. She had circles under her eyes and he felt like a bastard for pushing her so hard , but they didn’t have time and he knew she could do it. She could sing through a whole song perfectly if it was just them, but put her with an audience and her stage fright came back full force. On top of that, they still had to work onstage presence. Some people were born with it but Trey was convinced it could be taught. It was part confidence, part vulnerability-bearing yourself emotionally to the world. For Gwen, who liked being in the background, it would be a huge stretch for her. When she opened her eyes, he was relieved to see that Gwen’s eyes were fathomless and soft. He wasn’t sure who she was thinking about; but, when she opened her mouth to sing, the words vibrated with emotion and the hairs on his arms stood up.
     
    What I’d give
    for you to touch me
    Just once, look at me and see
    the woman who’s been waiting
    Touch me the way I’ve dreamed
    Touch me
     
    Trey wasn’t even aware that he took a step forward until he had his hands on her. She didn’t move back from him. She rested her hand on his chest. He sucked in a breath as she leaned into him and continued to sing, seducing every fiber in him. When she stopped, it was his turn to realize he’d forgotten his lines.
    “ That was good,” he said and his voice was lower than normal. “I think we should call it a night.”
    Gwen nodded and set the mic down and grabbed her bag. “I don’t know how you do this.”
    “ I love it.”
    She sighed. “I know you do, but you’re stripping down in front of millions and they can reject you.”
    “ Or love you,” he said with a smile as he put an arm around her and they walked out of the warehouse.
    “ You have a huge ego,” she muttered as she got into the passenger side of his SUV. “Am I improving at all?”
    He glanced at her as he drove.